Mishal Al-Otaibi
Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people in a gun attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, traveled to Saudi Arabia two times to perform Umrah, according to Maj. Gen. Mansour Turki, security spokesman of the Ministry of Interior.
“Mateen was in the Kingdom to perform Umrah for 10 days in March 2011, and eight days in March 2012,” he said while speaking to a television channel.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official said his travel records indicate that he apparently also visited the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported.
However, the official said, the Saudis so far have not provided any evidence that Mateen made contact with known extremists during his visits to the Kingdom, adding that anyone thought to be a threat is kept under surveillance by the Saudi authorities.
